Admissions halted at Peabody nursing home

Dec. 12--PEABODY -- The state has ordered the CareOne at Peabody nursing home to stop admitting new residents after an inspection found "immediate jeopardy" at the facility, according to state officials.

The immediate jeopardy status has since been lifted, but the admissions freeze will remain in place "until the facility has demonstrated these deficiencies have been corrected and they are back in substantial compliance with federal regulations," a Department of Public Health spokeswoman said Tuesday.

The nursing home remains open, with current residents still living there. An admissions freeze means a facility cannot admit new residents.

The sanctions were imposed after an inspection on Nov. 7. The DPH declined to release the inspection report or explain the deficiencies, saying the case is under investigation.

According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the term "immediate jeopardy" means a nursing home's non-compliance with one or more requirements "has caused, or is likely to cause, serious injury, harm, impairment, or death to a resident."

If the nursing home does not take immediate steps to remove the jeopardy, the facility is terminated from the Medicare and/or Medicaid insurance programs within 23 days of the inspection.

The Department of Public Health said the agency recommended that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services declare immediate jeopardy at CareOne after the Nov. 7 inspection. DPH froze all admissions to the facility effective that date, and the nursing home was directed to take "immediate corrective action," the agency said.

Officials at CareOne at Peabody did not return calls seeking comment. The nursing home, formerly called Peabody Glen, is located at 199 Andover St. on Route 114, across the street from the Northshore Mall, and has 150 beds.

CareOne at Peabody is owned by CareOne LLC, a New Jersey-based health care company that operates nursing homes and other facilities throughout the Northeast. CareOne CEO Daniel Straus did not return a call for comment.

CareOne at Peabody has an overall rating of below average, according to Medicare's Nursing Home Compare website. In July, it was cited for discharging a resident to home with another resident's medication.

Staff writer Paul Leighton can be reached at 978-338-2675 or [email protected].

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